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Written by and photos by ANDREW GOODMAN
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Wednesday, 19 November 2008 |
David Byrne is more than a musician and his live shows are more than concerts. He is a performance artist and his performances look and feel like a fine night at the theater. I'm not talking Broadway but definitely that cool spot that is written about and raved about by the SoHo cats. For many Byrne's name sounds familiar, but these days a bit hard to place.
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David Byrne
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 Entertainment
Art
Greek Theater
Los Angeles, CA
October 3, 2008
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During his time in Talking Heads, Bryne and his fellow band-mates created avant-garde music that is often hard to describe but immediately recognizable. Talking Heads are one of the most influential bands of the last thirty years and it only takes a moment listening to the radio to hear pieces of their brilliance in many of today's rock n' roll hit makers. Some of Talking Heads and therefore Byrne's most prolific periods came with the guidance and creative force of Brian Eno. The music legend produced such Talking Heads classics as "Crosseyed and Painless," "Once In A Lifetime" and "Take Me To the River."
Byrne's current tour is entitled "David Byrne, Performing Songs of David Byrne & Brian Eno" and the premise is simple; He's only playing songs that they worked on together... and they have a newly released collaborative album of new material. Unfortunately this did not include my favorite Talking Heads song and member of my perfect playlist, "Naive Melody (This Must be the Place)" but I didn't leave disappointed. The show was packed with highlight after highlight.
Every aspect of the evening was highly choreographed. From the dancers accompanying Byrne with their systematic and often robotic dancing to the white on white dress that everyone on stage garnished, the entire show was impeccably planned out, timed perfectly and aesthetically pleasing. Certain numbers symbolized the mundanity of working in an office, others focused on the hustle and bustle of living in the city. Again, it was unlike a normal concert, it was a performance.
The presentation was all very exciting because I was unsure if Byrne still had the energy and creative fire that he showcased in the music documentary "Stop Making Sense." He not only still has that fire and energy, but David Byrne sounds as good as ever and has never cease to be interesting. And at the end of the day, in the crowded world of music where seemingly few risks are taken anymore, interesting is refreshing and always relevant.
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